Eating Meat

We used to think that meat was a great thing. It was great when our generation had more meat to eat than others. Eating meat also had connotations of envy. The Teochew saying, “jiak bak” literally means “eat meat” but it also means “loafing off”. It’s a jealous thing to say because just because somebody is seen enjoying something, it means he’s a bad person, but I guess this is another aspect of Chinese culture (and one I disapprove of).

But there is something wrong about eating meat. I used to think it was the custom that people just ate a lot of meat, just something you get used to. But eating meat means that somewhere, some animal is being caged up (and it will probably be caged up for life). Probably it will be fed junk food. It will be a couch potato – getting almost no exercise because space constraints make it hard for the animal to run around. It will be stressed because of overcrowding.

I suppose a lot of us get rather complacent about eating meat. We don’t eat meat sandwiches like the angmohs do. We eat fewer steaks. Our plates are full of rice. But when I saw this report and it listed down how much meat people will be allowed to eat in order to not destroy the environment, I think I’m eating a little too much.

A few western stalls in hawker centres are pretty good, but I’ll have to go there less often. Fewer trips to Uno Beef House or Aston specialities. Have to watch how much chicken rice I eat. When at the economical rice stall I can only have 1 meat side and the other two are veggies. Eat more yong tau foo. There’s a large chunk of rib at the bottom of your double boiled soup isn’t it?

Goddamn this overpopulation problem.